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Computer Science and Mathematics (Placement Year)

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

AAA including A level Mathematics or Further Mathematics OR AAB including A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics

May occassionally be accepted alongside AA in A level Mathematics AND Further Mathematics

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in Mathematics HL (either analysis and approaches or applications and interpretations)

May occassionally be accepted alongside AA in A level Mathematics AND Further Mathematics

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Subjects

Computer science

Mathematics

Mathematics and computing are intrinsically linked. By combining them in one programme you gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental and advanced aspects of the two disciplines, equipping you with the specialist skills and technical knowledge to excel in your chosen career.

Mathematics forms the foundations of all technology and computing, and as such, a rigorous study of the discipline provides invaluable insight and understanding into computer science. Furthermore, computer science is itself a dynamic discipline with a wide range of applications. As a result, this combined programme offers you a robust and comprehensive skill set, in-depth specialist knowledge, and fantastic career opportunities. You will explore the theory and practice of innovative and experimental computer science, while gaining an advanced understanding of the mathematical concepts and processes behind them.

To prepare you for your work placement year, our Careers and Placements Team will provide advice and guidance on: the skills required to create effective CVs, cover letters and applications; tips and techniques on how to make an impact at interviews and assessment centres; how to create a relevant digital profile; and how to research employers and career sectors of interest. In addition, there is great emphasis placed upon developing self-awareness and on how to present yourself in a professional manner to employers. This optional provision will be delivered via a blend of traditional and digital methods including face-to-face workshops, online webinars, e-courses and 1:1 appointments.

During your first year, you will build on your previous knowledge and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts. Modules cover a wide range of topics from calculus, probability and statistics to logic, proofs and theorems. As well as developing your technical knowledge and mathematical skills, you will also enhance your data analysis, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning skills. Additionally, you will be introduced to software development and the fundamentals of computer science.

In the second year, you will begin to drill down into specialist maths and computing modules, studying Human-Computer Interaction, Software Design and advanced Linear Algebra. These core modules will ensure you gain a solid understanding of the disciplines that is applicable in the real-world. Alongside these, you will also be able to choose from a range of optional maths and computing modules, these include: Abstract Algebra; Complex Analysis; Databases; and Social, Ethical and Professional Issues in Computing. In addition, you will bring your skills and knowledge together in a group project, which will allow you to apply what you have learnt to the real-world and gain valuable, practical experience.

In third year, you will undertake a 12-month placement that will allow you to apply the knowledge and skills that you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2, and to gain invaluable experience which will make you highly employable when you graduate. You will also submit monthly learning logs reflecting on your experience.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills. If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.

For the final year, your study will largely be guided by your own interests. Based upon what you have previously learnt, you can select from a wide range of modules, customising the third year to suit your career ambitions.

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Mathematics and Statistics

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

76%
Computer science
80%
Mathematics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

69%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
87%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

91%
Library resources
91%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
66%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

69%
UK students
31%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
B

Mathematics

Teaching and learning

70%
Staff make the subject interesting
85%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
70%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

86%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

81%
UK students
19%
International students
65%
Male students
35%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
90%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

86%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
6%
Business, research and administrative professionals
3%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

Mathematics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education
82%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

27%
Business, research and administrative professionals
20%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Teaching and educational professionals

Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Computer science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£27k

£27k

£36k

£36k

£45k

£45k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Mathematics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£23k

£23k

£31k

£31k

£37k

£37k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh
Mathematics with Computer Science
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 120-152
Lower entry requirements
University of Kent | Canterbury
Data Science with a Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 80
Nearby University
Edge Hill University | Ormskirk
Computer Science & Mathematics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 112-120
Same University
Lancaster University | Lancaster
Computer Science and Mathematics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with year in industry 2024
UCAS Points: 144

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here